ZAMBOANGA CITY – Two Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) bandits allegedly involved in kidnappings and killings were arrested while five others escaped in an operation by police and military forces in Sulu, a police official said Thursday.
Col. Richard Verceles, operations chief of the Area Police Command-Western Mindanao, said Musaram Muharam Amil, 70, and Aljabir Musaram, 30, were arrested in an operation around 1:30 a.m. Thursday in Barangay Tayungan, Panamao, Sulu.
Those who escaped were identified as Warkin Ukoh Adu, Bakri Ukoh Adu, Osminya Ukoh Adu, Alnadzmer Ukoh Adu and Jesmer Ukoh Adu.
Verceles said the troops recovered firearms that included an M16 rifle, a Garand rifle, magazines, ammunition and a bandolier.
He said the subjects of the search warrant were members of the ASG and relatives of slain ASG leader Jennor Lahab, formerly based in Basilan province.
Lahab transferred to the second district of Sulu and was affiliated with the group of the late ASG sub-leader Alhabsy Misaya, who is involved in kidnapping for ransom, the beheading of a Malaysian engineer in 2015 and kidnapping of 10 Indonesian sailors in 2016.
They were also involved in armed encounters with government forces and killings of civilians in Basilan and Sulu.
The ASG members were placed under the custody of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group for proper filing of charges in court. (PNA)
